The Berzier Ritual
by tanith2
Summary: A sequel to John Carpenters' Vampires with characters from the mummy


Disclaimers – I own no-one, Steven Sommers does.  
Rating – PG13  
Summery – This is a sequel to John Carpenters 'Vampires' but involves Rick, Jonathan and Ardeth Bay and is set in 1999.   
Feedback – please I would love some to all my stories at ardethsmistress@hotmail.com   
  
  
The Berzier Ritual  
  
Chapter One  
  
Valek was dead, destroyed by Jack Crow, a vampire slayer in San Tiago. He and the priest, Father Adam went back into the old prison and destroyed the remaining nest. When they had finished, Jack returned to recover the remains of Valek and put them with the rest, so that they could be buried. Only the skulls were taken, that way they could never rise again. Mind you with the sun turning them into crispy critters, there wasn't much to raise.  
It had taken them several hours to finish the nest, so it was getting late when he went back into the old barn. He stood in the middle of all the debris and a shocked look appeared on his face.  
All that remained was a pile of ash, where Valek had stood. He sifted through it but there was no skull and no Berzier cross. The black cross and Valek were gone. The last time he had seen it, it was sticking out of Valek. The priest came in behind him a few minutes later to find him on his knees.  
"Go damn it, shit" swore Jack.  
"What is it, what's wrong?" asked Father Adam.  
"He's gone, Valek has gone and so has the cross. Did you take it?"  
"No, I've been with you remember" said the priest angrily.  
Jack got up and walked over to him and grabbed him roughly by the throat.  
"Come on you little fuck shit, where is it, eh?"   
"Jack….please….I didn't take it, honest" gasped the priest trying to get away from him.  
Suddenly Jack let him go and apologised, patting his face.  
"I'm sorry, I know you didn't take it, but where the fuck is it and where is that son of a bitch"  
The priest picked himself up from where Jack had pushed him and followed him outside. Jack was leaning on the truck, his leg still throbbing from where the cardinal had cut him and he was covered in cuts and bruises.  
"What does this mean Jack. I thought once destroyed, that was it?" asked the priest.  
"Normally yes, but we are talking about the master, 600 years he had been around. No doubt others have done the same thing. I should have known, damn it, I should have known it would take more than the normal way to destroy him. Now he has gone and has the black cross. We have to find him"  
"But there are only two of us, we can't do it alone"  
"We won't, I know a couple of people I can get to help. We'll get more slayers and then….we'll find him and if it kills me, I'll destroy him once and for all"  
They gathered the stuff together and the skulls were buried, then they drove off. From a dark corner of an old barn, high on the hill, someone was watching. Then he turned and got a cloth and polished a black cross and stood it in the corner.  
"You didn't succeed Jack Crow, you never will succeed. I can not be destroyed" snarled Valek, as evil and handsome as ever.  
Going outside, he buried the cross, in the dark, deep in the ground. It would be safe there until it was needed. First he had to find Montoya and Katrina. They were his new recruits and would help him start up a new nest. Then he would destroy Jack Crow and any other slayer that got in his way.  
Jack and Adams drove to Monterray, they had no choice. They needed some more slayers if they were to get Valek. Plus within a few days, Montoya, a loyal slayer would become a vampire himself and along with the girl would form their own nest of goons.  
"So who have you got in mind to help us Jack?" asked the priest.  
"I have three people in mind, I just hope they agree. I will arrange a meeting when we get to the monastery"  
"Do you reckon we will find him?"  
"Fuck knows, damn him. I thought he was gone. What makes him so strong that we can't destroy him father?"  
"Could be the inverse exorcism that was performed on him all those centuries ago. I'll go to the archives and try and find out what I can about it. We can't be the only ones who have come up against this"  
"What worries me" said Jack as he drove into the grounds, "Is that little fuck has the cross. If he finds someone to do the ritual, he will be able to walk in the daylight, then we have problems"  
"Do you think he will?" asked Adams looking worried.  
"He got the Cardinal didn't he. I never did trust that little shit, always did think there was something up with him. And then he sold me and the others out. If you hadn't have killed him I would have done"  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Within a couple of days, arrangements had been made for the meeting. When they arrived they were shown into an office in the middle of the Catholic monastery. There was Rick O'Connell, an Egyptologist, about 6ft 1", dirty blonde hair, dressed in jeans and a denim jacket. He was 35 and had been married but had divorced when his love of women got the better of him. Then there was Jonathan, or John to his friends. Rick's brother in law. He was the same age and about 5ft 10", he had never married and liked working with Rick and the other man. He only fault was he loved treasure and did what he had to to get it. Ardeth Bay, was the most handsome of the three and was a 6ft 1" Egyptian, about 37, with long black hair and dressed in leather trousers and jacket. He rode a Harley whenever he got a chance and had enjoyed being in the States for the last 3 years.  
"Do you know what this is all about?" asked John "Who is this Jack Crow?"  
"An old friend and I have a funny feeling I know what he wants us to do" said Rick.  
"Some tomb to find I expect" said Ardeth.  
"If it was that simple" said Rick "This man is a slayer, he hunts vampires"  
Before the others could answer, Jack walked in and introduced himself to the others.  
"Well Jack, are we here for what I think we are?"   
"Yes, I need your help and you are the only ones I trust and know who would be willing to do the job I have to do"  
"Vampires" said Ardeth "They are myth, not real. What is the real reason, why use that as a cover"  
"It is not cover, that is what I do. Hunt and destroy vampires. They are real, believe me. Come, I'll show you all the documentation I have, photos, letters, evidence if you like"  
They followed him into another part of the building and he went over to the safe in the wall, behind an enormous picture of the Pope.  
"Vampires, maybe we will find out what the real reason we are here" said John "Rick what do you think, you haven't said anything, you don't believe this shit do you"  
Rick just looked at him and Ardeth who shook his head in disbelief that his friend would be that gullible. But by the time they had seen the photos etc, they were changing their mind.  
"You're serious aren't you?" said Ardeth.  
"Yes very. Rick knows I am telling the truth. What do you two know of vampires?"  
"Only what we read and see in films" replied John.  
"Well let me tell you, vampires don't go around like Bela Lugosi and Christopher Lee, seducing women and acting romantic when they want to. These are the devils own children, they kill and the ones they don't kill, become like them. Garlic and crosses don't affect them, running water is a laugh. They only way that these little fuck shits can be destroyed is to drive a stake through their hearts and the sun will turn them into crispy critters. Now you know that, you have a choice. You can stay and help me or you can walk out of that door and forget the meeting ever took place" said Jack leaning against the window with his arms crossed.  
Both Ardeth and John agreed to help, still not quite believing what had been said but they weren't going to let Rick go on his own.  
"Okay where do we go from here?" asked Ardeth.  
Jack took a map and showed them where the nests had been including the last one.  
"We have two tasks. One, to find out where Montoya and the girl have gone. They will be vampires now and will be increasing their nest. Two, and most importantly, we have to find Valek and that cross"  
"Who is this Valek?" asked Ardeth.  
Jack took a picture out of the file, the one they had found in Germany and showed it to him.  
"This is Valek. Yan Valek, a catholic priest born in the 14th century. Became a vampire when the exorcism went wrong. He is the Master vampire, stronger than any of the others. I know. I destroyed him, or thought I had. He also has the Berzier cross, which if used in a ritual performed by a priest, will allow him to wander about in the sun. we have to find him and stop him before he has a chance to do this"  
"So where do we start looking?" asked John.  
"There are rumours of a nest at Carrelvo about 75 miles from here. We'll start there. But first we have to show you how to use the equipment"  
For the next 24 hours, Jack and Father Adams showed them how to use all the stuff that they needed to use from the new armoured truck that jack had acquired. He had got new stakes, hammers, spears and crossbows. Everything he needed but they had to be used preciously to achieve the best effect. Later that night.  
"This Jack seems obsessed with this theory about vampires. And this equipment is very high tech" said Ardeth.  
Rick stood up and pulled out his wallet. Producing a piece of brown-edged paper, he showed it to his friends. It was a newspaper cutting. It told of a teenager who killed his father, after his father had killed his mother in self defence. Inside this piece of paper was another, from the catholic church with the real story.  
"Jacks father was bitten by a vampire, when he turned a few days later, he attacked and killed his mother and then went after him. Jack killed him. The catholic church took over and brought Jack up and gave the press an edited version of the truth" said Rick.  
"But how do you know it isn't all lies?" asked John.  
"Because Jack's mother was also my mother. We are step-brothers. He lived with her and her new husband and I was left in Egypt after my father was killed. I was staying there when all this happened. He didn't get a chance to come after me as Jack had already killed him. When the catholic church found out, Jack was taken in by them and I went back to Egypt. I was already studying Egyptology and I knew Jack was alright. We have always kept in touch but I have never mentioned him to anyone much. I kept my early life quiet"  
"Not half" said John "Even Evy and I never knew"   
  
Chapter Three  
  
They arrived in Cerralvo just after dawn at a run down house on the outskirts of town. A few inquiries had been made and they found out that six people had gone missing from the town. But no-one was willing to go to the house to find out if they were there.  
"They're scared, bless em" said Jack "Right let's go kick some vampire butt"  
Getting out of the truck and jeep, they unloaded the stuff they would need. As it was John and Ardeths first time at this, Jack got them to operate the winch on the truck. Rick would go in with him and Father Adam.  
"Rick you stay behind us. Father you ready?"  
"As ever, you want to go in first or shall I ?"  
"We go in together from now on, let's move"  
Rick and the father had guns ready, Jack had the crossbow. He kicked in the door and they both walked in, looking round to make sure no vampires were hiding. There was nothing in the ground floor rooms nor in the bedrooms. The place was totally derelict, the ideal place for goons to hide in the daytime.  
"Right, now we go to the basement. This will be more tricky as we can't pull them outside. We have to use the stakes and spears" said Father Adam.  
"You little shit" laughed Jack "You're really enjoying being a slayer aren't you?"  
"Had a good teacher Jack"  
Just as they headed for the basement, a crash of a door behind them made them swing round. A vampire hurled herself at them from an old cupboard near the stairs.   
"I thought you had checked that?" Jack shouted at Rick.  
"Sorry, missed it"  
Father Adam fired his gun to slow her down while Jack pulled the trigger on the crossbow. It hit her in the stomach and black gooey blood poured out accompanied by her screams as she fought against it.  
"Ardeth, the winch, now" shouted Jack into the radio mic he had on.  
Ardeth pulled the lever on the side of the truck and started to wind the steel cable. The vampire fell to the floor and was dragged out of the door, kicking and screaming, trying to dislodge the steel arrow. As she hit the sunlight, she burst into flames and was dead in an instant.  
John ran round the back of the truck and lost his breakfast and Ardeth just stood there, stunned but suddenly believing what Jack had told them. He released the cable and Jack came out to make sure it was dead as it was their first goon.  
"Where's John?"  
"Behind the truck, was that……?"  
"Yes that was your first vampire. Are you okay?"  
"Eh, yeah, I think so. Here the cables fixed up"  
Jack went to walk back into the old house where he had left Father Adam and Rick when Ardeth called him.  
"Jack, sorry I didn't believe you"  
"Don't worry about it" replied Jack.  
Suddenly he heard a commotion in the house and running in, crossbow at the ready, he saw a vampire going for Rick. They hit the floor, Rick trying desperately to fight him off as he tried to bite him.  
"Rick try and turn him round" shouted Jack.  
"Oh sure" the man managed to shout back.  
He struggled with the goon, when suddenly it loosened it's grip on him and he rolled out of the way, as the crossbow went off and an arrow pierced his back. Grabbing for Rick again ad then trying to get the arrow out, he turned to face Jack.  
"Die you son of a bitch" shouted Jack as he rammed a spear through his heart, just as the cable pulled tight and the vampire was pulled outside and destroyed. Jack ran over to Rick who was trying to get up.  
"You alright, he didn't bite you did he?"  
"No, the bastard tried but no"  
"Where is Father Adam?"  
"I'm over here, thanks Rick you didn't have to push so hard."  
"Right let's find the rest and be careful"  
After a couple of hours they had cleared the place of goons and set light to it. There were 7 vampire skulls on the hood of the truck.  
"Hey you two okay?" asked Rick looking at Ardeth and John.  
They were sitting in the jeep, and even for an Egyptian, Ardeth was looking very pale.  
"Do we bloody look alright. You never told us it would be like this" shouted John.  
"What the fuck did you think we would do?" replied Jack coming over. "Wave a cross or piece of garlic at them and they would die. This is reality John I did warn you and you agreed to help."  
"Hang on" said Rick "This is the first time any of us have met up with a real vampire."  
"I know but if they can't handle it, maybe they should go"  
John jumped out of the jeep and was ready to have a fight with Jack but he was stopped by Rick. Jack walked over and grabbed John by the jacket and slammed him against the jeep.  
"If you want to hit me, do it. Then we will get on with what we are here for. I need people I can rely on, not wimps. These things have to be destroyed before they infect others. Are you still with us or not?"  
John looked at him and then at the others. It had to be his decision and he nodded.  
"I'm still in and one day I will hit you, I just wished you had told me what it was really like"  
Jack sighed and let him go.  
"There is no easy where to describe this. It's an horrific thing to do but it is either them or us. Come on, get the skulls and we'll go, there is a motel down the road. We'll stay there tonight"  
  
Chapter Four  
  
Valek had left the barn after Jack and the priest had gone. It was almost dark and he needed to find Montoya. Using his powers of detection, he felt that they were at a place called Zapata on the Mexican/Texas border. He needed them to secure a new nest. It was about 150 miles away but he could get there by dawn.  
The closer he got, the stronger the vibes. He arrived at an old school-house, long deserted with the town of 20, about 1 mile to the east. He walked into the building, through the hall to the old gym at the back which had no windows and was ideal during the daylight hours.  
As he went in, Montoya, who had heard someone enter the place, went to jump on him, thinking it was someone from the town or even Jack. Valek roared at him and grabbed him before he could blink.  
"Montoya, it is your master" he said with a low growl.  
Montoya stopped and looked at him. Then he backed off and Katrina came forward.  
"We have been waiting for you Valek, what do you want us to do?" she asked.  
"I need more like you and I need to feed this night. I am weak from the events of the past few days. Then we will go after Jack Crow and his new slayers"  
They waited and slept all day and just as it was getting dark, they left the school-house and walked towards the town. There they would find new recruits and food. Montoya and Katrina had their orders from Valek, young people as recruits and the older ones as food. Silently they roamed the town, taking each house one at a time, killing and feeding on the ones that weren't any good to them. The others would be taken back to the school house.  
Within 48 hours they would be vampires too and Valeks group would be stronger. When they returned, Montoya spoke to Valek.  
"The cross Valek, what about the cross?"  
"It is safe. I just need to find someone who will perform the final ritual, then we can all roam the countryside in the daylight and then no-one can stop us" he replied.  
Montoya sat down, he was still not used to the fact he was a vampire and all the blood he had drank that night was making him feel sick. Valek noticed this.  
"It will pass Montoya, this is the first feed you have had as one of my children. By the time you feed again, this feeling will be gone"  
"Who will do the ritual master?" asked Katrina coming in to find Montoya "The man who was to do it was killed by the priest, will he be the one"  
"No, he is a slayer now, there is another. A warrior from the east. Very strong and yet, very vulnerable. He will be recruited. Not fed oon, not to be onoe of us till after but he will be recruited to help me"  
With that Valek walked out of the room and out into the darkness, he would be back the next night.  
Rick knocked on Ardeths door, he had tried to speak to Jonathan but he was already asleep. Ardeth shouted for him to come in. He was laying on the bed, smoking a cigarette.   
"Ardeth since when did you smoke?" asked Rick.  
"Since today, being a Med-jai stops me from drinking and I need something"  
"Yeah, one hell of a day. I forget that you are still Med-jai, especially seeing you in leathers and on a motorbike"  
"More reliable than a camel and my robes would get in the way" replied Ardeth trying to bring a bit of humour to the moment.  
Rick poured himself a coffee and sat down, looking at Ardeth who wasn't really enjoying smoking and he eventually put it out.  
"You sure you are okay pal?"  
The Arab nodded and then got up and walked to the window.  
"How many times will we have to do this, how many more places hide these creatures?"  
"I don't know, I always knew what Jack did but to be honest I never thought it was like what we did today. I suppose I never really believed the story about vampires even with the evidence of what happened to his father"  
"What made you believe"  
"About 10 years ago, I was staying with him and he took me out one day and I had my first experience of a vampire. I certainly believed after that. And now, we have to find this Valek"  
Ardeth laid back on the bed and still looked a bit pale but that could have been from the cigarettes. After a few minutes of talking to himself, Rick looked over at his friend.  
"Are you still with us?" he asked "Ardeth!"  
The warrior seemed miles away and it took Rick shaking him, to snap him out of it.  
"You alright?"  
"Yeah…no…. I just had a vision….something…a man, tall, long black coat with several others in a building….a school. He was calling to me. Rick"  
Rick could see fear in the deep brown eyes of his friend and he put a hand on his shoulder.  
"Come on, let's go and see Jack, now"  
  
Chapter Five  
They knocked on Jacks door but got no answer. Looking in they found the room empty, then Rick saw him standing on the bridge over the ornamental pond, put there to attract tourists.  
"Jack we need to talk to you. Something is happening to Ardeth"  
"Let's go over here, what's wrong Ardeth?"  
He explained what he had seen and Jack could see he was getting scared about it, even though he would never admit it.  
"How can this be happening, you said it was only when someone got bitten that they had this contact"  
"Normally yes but we are dealing with one very powerful son of a bitch here. Even I don't know what powers he possesses. I just know I destroyed him at San Tiago and now he is back"  
Rick was getting angry at Jacks matter of fact and don't care attitude.  
"Look, I know you don't really give a shit about us, as long as the job gets done. But I do, Ardeth is my friend and I won't see this…Valek….hurt him"  
"I'm sorry, too many years doing this job. I do care, I care too much. I wish I could do this alone but it is impossible. Ardeth, have you ever felt like this before"  
Ardeth was leaning on the back of one of the chairs, his foot on the table, leather sleeves pushed up his arm.  
"Yes" he said "It is something that runs in my family, I am telepathic, that is why I always knew when anything had happened to you Rick, even when I wasn't with you"  
"I wondered how you always managed to help me out of scraps when I least expected it"  
"I guess this Valek must know, somehow and is using me to get to you. But for what purpose I don't know"  
He told Jack what he had seen, albeit briefly and Jack took them to his room where they got out the map of the area.  
"Well, let's say a range of 100 miles, that is one big area. I don't know if he would have got that far unless he used some form of transport and at night. No-one, not even he could walk too far. He would need blood and there have been no reports yet, of any suspicious deaths."  
"Couldn't we check though?" asked Rick.  
"Would do no good. If he has found a remote town out in the wilds like most of them are round here, word would not get out about any deaths like that until someone went there. And if it has been turned into a nest, then word would never get out"  
"Why?" asked John coming in after listening at the door.  
"Ah John because they would be killed or would become like him as soon as they got there"  
Ardeth was staring out of the window and without turning round.  
"So how do we find him and stop him?"   
Jack looked at him and suddenly Rick knew what he was going to say.  
"No Jack, no way, forget it"  
"We have no choice Rick" replied Jack.  
Ardeth stopped them from having a really big argument.  
"You want to use me to get to him?"  
"Yes" said Jack.  
"No Ardeth you can't, you stay here, we'll find him" replied Rick.  
The Arab grabbed his arm and reassured him.  
"There is no choice, Valek has already proved he can get to me. If I can use that to help you get Valek then I will"  
"But you could be killed….or worse" said John.  
"We could all be killed" replied Jack "Or, as you say, worse. We could become like him. We will protect him as best we can, even if he stays here Valek will find him."  
Rick stormed out and Ardeth followed him.  
"Don't worry, I'll talk to him" he said.  
Going out after his friend, Ardeth saw him disappear up the hill just behind the motel. He obviously wanted to be on his own. Following him, he found him leaning against a tree looking out over the desert. He turned as he heard someone coming towards him.  
"Rick, thanks for being so concerned about me but I can take care of myself you know. You know this is one way of getting Valek and the nest."  
"I know but……damn I wish I had never got you into this. I wish I hadn't gotten into this" replied Rick.  
"Come on, Jack wants us to leave at dawn, we need some sleep"   
Ardeth put a hand on Ricks shoulder as he turned back towards the motel. It would do no good talking to long to Rick, they would end up persuading each other to leave altogether.  
  
Chapter Six  
At the school house, Valek had returned and had taken Katrina on the side to have a word with her.  
"I want you to go to this warrior and then through you, I will speak to him. I could do it from here but it will work better through a second person. You will leave now"  
"Oh yes master, do I bring him back here?"  
"No, when I have finished you can return alone"  
Montoya came in as he was listening to what Valek had been saying. He didn't want Katrina going there alone.  
"Why don't we just go and destroy all of them, then we wouldn't have to worry about what they are doing" he said.  
Valek roared as he heard the man behind him and swinging round, slammed him against the wall.  
"You dare to question me" shouted the vampire. "I am the master, you will do as I say. Do you understand?"  
"Yes……yes master" said Montoya getting up holding his jaw.  
"Where will I find him?" asked Katrina.   
"It is dawn in a couple of hours, you will have to hide till it is dark, then you will find him through me, I will guide you"  
Katrina left and made her way to where the warrior would be. She could only travel for about 2 hours as it would be daylight, so finding soft ground she hid till dusk.  
The slayers had driven for about 50 miles and had decided to camp for the night, they would have made better time but the engine on the truck decided to pack up and they had to fix it. Conversation hadn't been forthcoming for most of the day and then after they camped, they chatted for a while before retiring to bed. It was only small talk except for an hour when Jack explained where they would try the next.  
Ardeth retired to his tent and lay on the camp bed in just his boxer shorts, it had been hot all day and he wanted to cool off a bit before going to sleep. He was reading a Harley motorcycle magazine for a while but then found himself dozing off.  
Katrina had found the camp quite easily with Valeks help and watched from the trees till she knew which tent the warrior was in. Then waiting till the others turned in, she slipped across the sand till she was outside Ardeths tent. Quietly she crept in, being careful not to wake him just yet.  
Valek sensed that she was with Ardeth and using her, he spoke to the warrior while he was asleep. He told him of a place that he was to take Jack Crow and the others to where he would be waiting. Then he was to then perform the ritual that would allow Valek and the others to walk in daylight. But he told him not to tell the others that he had been in contact with him.   
In fact he spoke to him for at least half an hour, all the while Ardeth stayed asleep, then the vampire told Katrina to return to the school house. Just as she was getting up to leave, Ardeth woke up.  
"Who are you, what are you doing here?" he asked.  
She turned round and staring at him, walked slowly back to the bed. He wanted to shout for one of the others but found he couldn't speak nor could he take his eyes off the girl as she came towards him. Sitting beside him, she ran fingers up his leg, her now long nails scraping the skin.   
He gasped as she ran her hands up his body and then, as he fought to keep his eyes focused on her, she kissed him, long and wantonly, and found him responding under her. Then running her teeth along his arm, she bit him on the wrist. He went to scream but again found he couldn't, then the sensation of her drinking his blood overcame him and he felt himself passing out.  
He woke with a start, finding himself alone. He was breathing hard, thinking it was a bad dream and yet he couldn't remember much about it at all. His wrist stung and looking at it, he saw it was covered in blood. What had he done, he thought wiping it with a cloth. Then he saw the two bite marks and suddenly part of what happened came back to him.  
He remembered the girl in the tent, then her biting him. He concluded that he must have passed out or something, he didn't even know how long ago it had been except that the blood was still fairly fresh. He also knew what it meant. Jack had told them enough times, in about 48 hours he would become like Valek and the others, a vampire, living on blood.   
Rushing outside the tent, he was violently sick, as much from fear as anything else. He knew he couldn't tell Jack but he would have to tell Rick, he would need his help. He didn't know how much blood the girl had taken but he still felt weak and just about made it to his friends tent. Rick heard someone outside his tent and turning the lamp on, he was just about to get up and have a look when Ardeth came through the flaps.  
"Ardeth, don't you know it's nearly 4am, what on earth do you want?" he said sleepily, hating to be woken up at that time of the morning.  
"I need to talk….." Ardeth managed to say before collapsing to the ground.  
Rick was out of bed and beside Ardeth in a flash. He had no idea what was wrong and was about to shout for Jack as he turned him over, when he saw the blood on his wrist and then the bite marks. Instantly he knew what had happened. He couldn't tell Jack yet, he had to wait to speak to Ardeth when he came round. As he lifted him onto the bed, Ardeths eyes opened and he saw Rick looking at him.  
"Ardeth, are you alright pal, here drink this"  
"Thank you. Someone was in my tent, a girl, never seen her before but she bit me. I couldn't move, couldn't shout for help, then I woke up and she was gone. God Rick, I think she was one of them"  
He was shaking like a leaf and Rick put a blanket and his arm round him, while he thought about what they could do next. They would have to tell Jack, no matter what Ardeth said, he wasn't going to like it but they had no choice. But a few minutes more wouldn't make any difference, Ardeth just needed a friend not a lecture.  
  
Chapter Seven  
Katrina arrived back at the school-house to be greeted by a very angry Valek. He had gathered the others in the gym and when she walked in, he flew at her.  
"You disobeyed me. You went against my orders to leave Ardeth Bay alone. He was not to be touched till after the ritual" he roared.  
"How…..I never……master I" she stuttered trying to get away from him.  
"Leave her alone" shouted Montoya getting up.  
But Valek just swung his arm back, without even looking and Montoya ended up in a heap at the end of the gym.  
"No-one disobeys me. He is tarnished and will have to perform the ritual before 48 hours is up or he will become like us and useless to me. I needed time to establish a new nest. You will suffer for this"  
"No Valek please, I am sorry he was so handsome, I couldn't resist him. I needed his blood. I will never disobey you again" she pleaded.  
The master vampire let her go and started to walk away, she thought she was safe. But he suddenly swung his arm round and sliced through her neck. Her head, with the look of utter horror pasted on it, rolled across the room.  
Montoya and the others screamed and backed away, not daring to challenge Valek. He walked to the door and then stopped. Facing the other vampires, he roared at them.  
"Anyone who crosses me, dies and not very pleasantly. I am your master and I will be obeyed in all things."  
As he left Montoya crawled over to where the girls head was. Picking it up, he cradled it in his arms. Vampire or not, he had been in love with her and now she was gone.  
Rick left Ardeth laying on the bed while he went to see Jack. The Arab was basically in shock, realising that he would become a vampire like Valek in two days. He just lay there staring at the canvas of the tent, his arms wrapped round his body. Going into Jacks tent, Rick shook him to wake him up. Bleary eyed, Jack looked up at him and then at his watch.  
"This had better be good" he said angrily.  
"It is. Katrina has been here" said Rick.  
He had never seen Jack move so fast as he flew out of the bed and grabbed his gun.  
"Hold it" shouted Rick "she has already gone but I think you had better come to my tent"  
Jack followed Rick out of the tent, putting his gun into the belt of his jeans that he had hurriedly pulled on.  
"What's happened Rick, she never bit you did she?" he asked grabbing his shoulder.  
"No but she did Ardeth"  
Jack stopped dead as if he had hit an invisible brick wall. Ardeth. Damn he thought, he had promised to protect him and already he had let him down. When they walked into the tent, ardeth hadn't moved. Rick went over to him.  
"Ardeth, you have to tell Jack what happened"  
He got no response at all, so he bent over and touched his friends shoulder to let him know he was there. Under his hand, he felt Ardeth shaking and then as he looked at his face, he could see him staring blankly at the wall of the tent  
"I think he is in shock. When he came in here, he passed out. I laid him on the tent and he hasn't moved"  
Jack pushed Rick out of the way and looked at the man on the bed.  
"He is, we have to get him out of it. Or he will never survive this. He needs to be aware of what if going on around him or Valek will have won"  
He looked at Ardeths wrist where the vampire had bitten him then he pulled the man to a sitting position.  
"Ardeth wake up, God damn it. You have to fight this" shouted Jack.  
The noise woke John and Father Adam, who had joined them that night after going to the church archives to find out more about Valek and the ritual. They tried for several minutes to snap Ardeth out of it but to no avail. There was only one thing left. Jack looked at Rick as though waiting for his consent, which he gave by nodding his head. Then Jack slapped Ardeth hard across the face, sending him sprawling across the bed but it worked. The Arab looked at them and then ran from the tent.  
"I'll go after him" said Jack "Don't worry I won't hurt him"  
He left Rick to explain to Father Adam and John what had gone down with Katrina. They were shocked but vowed to stand by Ardeth no matter what occurred.   
"What happens if we can't get Valek before he turns into…..one of them" asked John.  
Rick put his head down and looked at the floor.  
"We destroy him the same as any other vampire" replied Father Adam leaving the tent.  
  
Chapter Eight  
The next day, after Jack had spent a couple of hours talking to Ardeth, they carried on their way as they headed for a little town called Sabinas Hidalgo. Ardeth hadn't spoken all the while they drove and Rick didn't want to pry on how he was feeling, he could imagine.  
Jack had bandaged his wrist and he wore a leather band over it, to hide it. The leader of the slayers, had told him that the more he ate the longer it would take for him to turn, but he wouldn't be able to make him eat. The others were in the truck and Jack asked Father Adam what, if anything, he had found out in the archives.  
"Mostly it was stuff that we already knew but I did find out one thing very important. Valeks existence seems to be linked to the Berzier Cross. It was part of the original ritual, then as we know it disappeared for several centuries. He has searched for it all these years. It has to be at the ritual for it to be completed"  
"Which is why it disappeared at San Tiago, along with Valek" replied Jack   
"Can't it be done with any other cross?" asked John.  
They pulled up behind the jeep at a town called Sabinas Hidlago, which looked like no-one had lived there for years. As they carefully got out of the vehicles just in case there were any goons here, Father Adam continued.  
"No any other cross wouldn't work or he would have used it before. I believe from what I have read that if we destroy the cross then we destroy Valek"  
Jack stopped dead and turned round, holding a finger up to Father Adam.  
"Of course, son of a bitch, I should have realised. It was the catholic church who created him in the first place, using the cross in the exorcism. It is part of him and he is part of the cross. You're wonderful, now all we have to do is find them"  
Valek had decided that he would need the Father as well as Ardeth now. He needed the slayer and he couldn't use Ardeth, Katrina had seen to that but he could perform the ritual. Using his powers and the Arabs mind, he discovered that they were only about 50 miles away, at Sabrinas Hidlago. He would go there with Montoya and bring them back to the school house, there was less than 36 hours before Ardeth became a vampire and then it would too late.  
Montoya had gotten over Katrina already, being a vampire himself, he had almost lost all human feelings and only for a few minutes did he miss her. He walked over to Valek as he entered the room.  
"What do we do now?" he asked.  
"We bring two of them here. Then my child, we will be able to walk the world without fear of being discovered"  
"What about the master slayer, Crow?"  
"You shall have that pleasure later. First we have to bring Ardeth and the Father here, we leave now. The others have instructions to get the place ready for the ritual. I have brought the cross, it is here, ready for use"  
The others had settled in the old hotel, it hadn't been used for years but Jack didn't know why the place was a ghost town. There was no sign of vampires and they came to the conclusion that there had been no-one here for Valek to instigate.  
"Ardeth you have to eat something, the virus takes hold quicker if you don't" said Rick.  
"I don't want anything. I just want to sleep" he replied.  
This thing was slowly killing him and he didn't know how to fight it. He had no strength to do anything even walking was exhausting. Ardeth knew the others were worried about him but he didn't care anymore. Dreams still haunted him, he could see Valek and the others more clearly as the hours wore on but he never told Jack.  
"You will stay quiet about us Ardeth" he heard Valek tell him "Soon you will join us but I have a job for you. Tonight I will come for you and Father Adam. Wait for us"  
Rick brought a coffee over and sat with his friend, he could see he was miles away and he shook him.  
"Ardeth, hey come on, fight this thing please" he said.  
"I…I…can't…need to sleep"   
Pulling him up from the chair, Rick helped him up to his room. If he was going to sleep, he would be better off in bed. As he went to leave, Ardeth spoke to him.  
"Want to talk to Father Adam"  
"Okay, I'll send him in" said Rick.  
He assumed because his friend knew he could be dead, in some sense of the word, he needed to speak to a priest. So he went and told Father Adam who trotted along to his room. Rick, John and Jack sat in what used to be the bar. Rick told them that Ardeth was talking to the priest.  
"He's scared" he said "God I wish I could help him"  
"I know" replied Jack "Look I'm sorry I didn't protect him like I promised. I just didn't know Valek was so strong"  
Looking at him Rick could see he was genuinely sorry but it didn't stop him from being less angry. He walked away from him.  
"You can't blame him" said John "Ardeth has been like a brother to him, they are very close. You asked us to help and now Ardeth is going to be one of those creatures"  
"I know, God damn it, I know. Don't you think I know. Fuck Valek, I will destroy him this time one way or the other"  
"But we have to find him first, he could be anywhere and we have just over a day left to save Ardeth"  
"There is a little town called Zapata about 50 miles from here. According to the map on the wall over there, there is a school house just outside the town"  
Rick heard what he said and launched himself at Jack, punching him in the face before being pushed down into one of the chairs.  
"Why didn't you say you bastard" said Rick trying to get up, "let's go"  
Jack pushed him back into the chair as Rick took another swing at him and pinned his arms down.  
"One, I only saw it half hour ago, two, it's dark, we do not go looking for vampires at night. It's their time, we would be dead in minutes, we leave at first light tomorrow, okay"  
Rick sighed and nodded, he knew Jack was right, it was no good barging in there at night. They would either die or end up like Valek and then…… God, he dreaded to think of the consequences if they didn't survive this.  
  
Chapter Nine   
When Father Adam got to Ardeths room, he found that he was standing by the window and although he didn't come in quietly, the man never heard him until he touched his shoulder.  
"Ardeth, you wanted to speak to me?" he said quietly.  
"Yes….I did….but" replied the man, not sure of what to say nor if he had the strength to say it.  
"Look would you rather I left?"  
Ardeth turned to him and shook his head, he had to get the father outside. It would be no good in the hotel, he didn't want the others to know Valek was there.  
"Look, I need some fresh air" he replied going to the door "Would you come outside with me for a while"  
"Of course, look is it something to do with what's happening to you?" he asked.  
The Arab stopped on the landing and turned to his friend. Fear shone in his eyes and yet he was trying to be strong and not show the fear.  
"I am a Med-jai, we have our own religion but I …. I need something, I am too far from home for my people to help me, you are all I have. I am sorry"  
The Father put his hand on Ardeths shoulder and nodded.  
"If I can help you I will. Come let's go"  
They went downstairs, through the back door of the hotel, not wanting to see the others. The last thing Ardeth wanted was to answer any questions, just in case he gave something away. He hated what he was doing but if there was any way he and the Father could destroy Valek themselves and save his friends, he would.  
Valek and Montoya watched as Ardeth led the other man away from the hotel. It was working better than anticipated but Montoya was impatient.  
"Why not kill Jack and the others now?" he demanded.  
"No…if we kill them now, we will lose the chance of the ritual being performed. Ardeth is a warrior and his code means that he will protect his friends even to the point of death. I have seen people like him before, they would kill themselves to save their friends and family"  
"But if we have them, then he can't, he wouldn't know"  
"We have till dawn tomorrow, it has to be finished just as the sun rises, that gives us less than 24 hours. I will not take another chance again. You will have Jack, I promised you, within 48 hours he will be yours"  
Valek and Montoya walked towards the two men, who were sitting on the porch of an old house, not far from the hotel. Ardeth was weak and couldn't walk any further, time was running out for him. He could sense Valek and another vampire nearby and he waited. He felt so weak that he couldn't have resisted the mind control even if you wanted to.   
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the master vampire at one end of the porch, he guessed that the other goon would be at the other end.  
"So what do you want me to do to help you?" asked Father Adam.  
"Just believe me when I say that I do not want to do this and that I am your friend. But Valek's mind is strong and I cannot resist him."  
Father Adam looked in the direction of Ardeths gaze and saw Valek walking towards him. He jumped up, ready to run back to the hotel but ran straight into Montoya, who grabbed him and punched him full in the face, knocking him out, before he could even think about shouting for help. Ardeth stood up to face Valek.  
"You have done well, soon you will be one of my children but we have a task to perform. Come" he said leading the way.  
"You promise not to harm Jack and the others if I help you" asked Ardeth.  
"You have my word, warrior."  
Unfortunately, lack of food and the fact he was becoming like Valek, the Arab collapsed as he started to follow the master vampire. Valek picked him up and carried him as they made their way back to the school house. Montoya had slung the Father over his shoulder. With Valeks powers, they wouldn't take long to go the distance to the nest.  
  
Chapter Ten   
It was dawn before Rick found out that Ardeth and the Father were gone. He ran back downstairs to the others.   
"Valek….he must have got them. But why not kill us while he had the chance" said Jack.  
"Maybe he wanted to use them for that ritual thing" said John.  
"God damn it, of course. Father Adam is a slayer now and he will be sacrificed to provide Valek with the blood he needs during the ritual. He must need Ardeth to perform it"  
"But Ardeth is becoming like him, how can he do it?" asked Rick.  
"He isn't yet, how was he earlier?"  
"Weak, very pale and asleep on his feet"  
"Has he eaten anything in the last 24 hours, I haven't seen him"  
"No, nothing"  
Jack paced the floor as he loaded one of his small guns and put it in his belt.  
"Then I would say he had about 18 hours before he becomes like them. That also means that the ritual will be performed tonight. We have to find them before dusk or we will never stop them."  
They loaded up the truck and jeep and were all set to leave for Zapata, where the school house was on the map. Jack hoped they would get there and find them before it got dark. He didn't know how many were in the nest and with Valek there, they would stand no chance of destroying them or the cross once the sun went down. But as they went to get into the vehicles, John spotted the tyres, every one had been let down.   
"Damn, that is all we need, it will take hours to get these pumped up again" shouted Jack kicking the tyre nearest him.  
Valek and Montoya reached the nest with a couple of hours of darkness left. Ardeth was still unconscious and the vampire laid him on the floor in one of the rooms off the gym. There was no need to tie him up, he was too weak to go anywhere. Father Adam was a different story, they tied him to the radiator next to Ardeth. He would be okay till needed that night.  
"Come with me Montoya. We have to get the cross" said Valek.  
Making sure that everything was ready in the playground at the back of the school, they went to get the cross in one of the buildings close by. Montoya saw it for the first time and marvelled at its beauty. It was a black ornate cross with rubies round the edge and celtic designs all over it.  
Valek carried the cross itself while Montoya brought some beams that could be used to form a wooden cross to which they would tie Father Adam. Taking them back to the playground, one of the other goons helped Montoya erect the wooden cross with wood and other inflammable things round the bottom, all ready for the Father.  
It reminded him of the when Jack was tied to the same sort of cross at San Tiago, a sacrifice to Valek. But after tonight, he would be able to destroy Jack instead of saving him, he was looking forward to it.  
Father Adam had woken up with a very sore jaw, only to find himself tied to the radiator by his wrists. Ardeth was laying on the floor nearby, he thought he was dead until he moaned in his sleep. He had to get out of there but the more he pulled at the ropes, the tighter they became.   
The door opened and Valek walked in, seeing he was awake he went over to him and knelt down to make sure the ropes were tight enough and to also tie his feet as well, just in case.  
"You will be on your own till dusk tonight, I don't want you disappearing on me, I need you" he said tying Ardeth up as well.  
"I will do nothing for you, you tried last time and I refused, remember" Father Adam hissed.  
"Oh I don't want you for that reason, you will be the sacrifice this time. This man here will be performing the ceremony this time, his mind is mine, he will do anything I want him to. By tomorrow morning, he will join me and we will walk the world together and then Jack Crow will never destroy us. As for you, you will be dead"  
"You bastard Valek, okay, I will do the ceremony, let him go" pleaded the Father.  
"Too late, Katrina saw to that unfortunately. Don't you understand, nothing can save him now. By the time your friends sort out their trucks, it will be dark again" said Valek laughing.  
With that he left, but not before putting gag in the Fathers mouth so that he couldn't yell for help. Not that anyone would hear him but just in case. The Father didn't move till he knew for certain that it was daylight and that Valek and the others would not be back.  
He tried for ages to remove the gag from his mouth and finally managed it, gasping for air. When he had got his breath back, he called out to his friend still laying in the same position.  
"Ardeth….Ardeth please, wake up" he shouted.  
After a while the man laying on the floor shifted so that he was facing the Father, his face very pale.  
"Please Ardeth help me, help me get these ropes off" pleaded the man.  
Ardeth tried to get up and help his friend but he was too weak. He knew if there was any chance of destroying Valek, it was up to him to help the Father but he didn't think he could. Trying to move closer to the man, he managed about 3ft before passing out. Father Adam sighed, realising that unless Jack and the others arrived, they would be dead in a few hours.  
It was nearly noon by the time they had got the tyres pumped up on the truck, they would have to forget the jeep and load all the stuff they needed and leave the stuff they didn't. Jumping into the vehicle, they sped off in the direction of Zapata. They should have been there by about 1.30 but about 15 miles from Zapata, the radiator blew up and the truck ground to a halt.  
"What the hell else can go wrong" shouted Rick "We won't get there in time"  
"Oh yes we will" said Jack "Come on, we'll take what we need and walk"  
"Walk" said John in disbelief "It's 15 miles, we'll still never make it"  
Jack began throwing the stuff out of the truck, onto the sand shouting to the others to pick up what they can and to get moving. Within half an hour they were walking along the dirt road towards Zapata. John caught up with Rick, who hadn't said much since they left.  
"Are you alright Rick?" he asked  
"I'm just worried about Ardeth, we haven't long left and then he will be like them. I just wish we could get there and destroy this bloody vampire and then he will be alright"  
"I think we have to be realistic. If we don't destroy this vampire before tonight, Ardeth is lost to us and then we have to destroy him like we would any other vampire"  
That was the last straw, Rick dropped what he was carrying and flew at John, knocking him into the sand, his things flying in all directions. They rolled around on the ground, punching and kicking each other before being pulled apart by Jack.  
"What the fuck doing you think you are doing, we haven't time for this. If it's a fight you want, take me on but later. Let's get to Zapata and sort these bastards out, try and save our friends and then you can knock the shit out of each other till the cows come home. Now come on"  
The two men picked themselves up and gathered up the stuff they had dropped and followed Jack, not saying a word. John wiped the blood off his lip where Rick had punched him. Rick wrapped a rag round his hand before setting off.  
  
Chapter Eleven  
It was just turning dusk and Valek went to get the two men. While two of the goons took Father Adam to the wooden cross, he went over to Ardeth. Placing a hand on his face, he probed his mind and prepared him for what he wanted him to do.   
Father Adam had spent all day trying to get free but the ropes had been tied by experts and his voice was hoarse from shouting. He struggled against his captors as he was dragged into the playground.  
"Let me go you bastards" he shouted.  
But they didn't take any notice and he was dragged up to the cross, his hands were tied to the crossbeam and his legs to the bottom. Then wood was piled around him. He wished Jack and the others were there, he just couldn't understand why they hadn't arrived. They must know he and Ardeth were there, it had been over 18 hours.  
A door opened and he saw Valek came out followed by Ardeth, who seemed to be in some sort of trance. He had been too weak to stand on his own. That could be the only explanation, Valek was using his mind control. If only he could break it.  
The other goons were in a semi-circle around the cross as Valek entered. As Ardeth came in, Father Adam shouted at him.  
"Ardeth, please help me, snap out of it"  
"Shut up" roared Valek as he slapped him across the face. "He is under my power and nothing can help him. He knows what he has to do"  
Ardeth started reading from a book, in latin as the goons all kneeled before the master vampire. There were 10 of them including Montoya. There had been others but Valek had sent them to the next small town to start a new nest.  
"Damn it Jack, it's almost dark, where is the bloody school?" asked Rick in a loud voice.  
"About half a mile in that direction" he replied not stopping.  
"You said we couldn't fight vampires at night" said John.  
"I know what I said but this is different. This is our last chance to destroy Valek. If we don't before the sun rises, we are all dead, the world as we know it, is dead. And our friends, well you know what will become of them. We have no choice. God help us"  
As they neared the school, they could hear a low chant and from the top of the hill, could see the playground and what was going on.  
"How many?" asked John.  
"I count 11 with Valek. Father Adam is on the cross, he is the sacrifice"  
"Where is Ardeth, is he one of the 11?" asked Rick, scared of the answer.  
"No, he is reading from some book"  
Rick took the binoculars and looked for himself.  
"But he was too weak to be able to stand that long"  
"Valek has him in a trance of some kind. He is reading the reverse exorcism. We have to move, now" said Jack getting up and grabbing the crossbow.  
Slowly and quietly they walked down the hill until they were beside the playground. There wasn't any wall round it just a small picket fence, quite easy to get over.  
"We can get 3 as we go in, then I will head straight for the cross and destroy it" said Jack.  
"We'll get Adam and Ardeth?" suggested John.  
"No, we have to get as many of the goons first, as soon as I have got the cross, I will have the pleasure of Valek."  
The next 5 minutes was a blurr of bullets, crossbow bolts and screaming goons. Valek roared as Jack and the others destroyed the vampires as they went in. He ran over to Father Adam and with his nails, slit his wrists so that the blood ran down into his mouth. He couldn't wait for the use of a goblet like last time, the ritual had to be finished, he couldn't be denied again.  
As Jack headed for the cross, Rick and John kept the vampires at bay with their guns and the other crossbows. Montoya sneaked round behind John and jumped him. They struggled on the ground, Montoya trying desperately to bite him. Suddenly he screamed, a blood curdling scream as Rick sent a bolt through him, unfortunately catching John at the same time. The bolt going through his arm which he had been using to defend himself.  
Despite the intense pain, John pulled his arm from the bolt as Montoya thrashed around, still determined to sink his fangs into him. He rolled away from him and staggered to his feet, holding his arm that was pouring with blood.  
Valek was still drinking the blood as Ardeth carried on with the words from the book, oblivious to what was going around him. Father Adam had passed out from the blood loss and hung on the cross with the master vampire standing under him, his blood running down his chin as he drank all he could.  
Suddenly there was a blinding flash as an explosion ripped across the playground and the Berzier cross disintegrated into a thousand pieces as Jack lit the fuse of some plastic explosive that he had wrapped around it. The vampires that were left, ran into the school as the fire headed in their direction.  
The master vampire stopped in his tracks, his voice roared across the desert as he realised what had happened. He stood up and intended to kill Jack Crow once and for all when he doubled up, as though in pain. Then smoke started to rise from his back and legs.  
As the others watched, he was consumed by an unearthly fire, nothing like what had occurred before, this time, no heat came from the flames. It was consuming just him and within a few minutes he lay in a smouldering heap in the middle of the playground.  
"John, go and get Father Adam off that thing, if he is still alive" shouted Jack "Come on Rick, we have to get the other 3 vampires that have gone into the school."  
Rick ran after him as he headed for the school entrance, they would get far, the sun was rising and they would head for darkness. The only place was the gym as Jack soon found out and there they destroyed the last of them, taking their bodies outside so that the sunlight could finish them off.  
They found John helping Father Adam to stand after he had bandaged his wrists, he would be alright in a few hours. As Rick let the body of the last vampire drop when the sun hit it, he saw Ardeth laying on the ground beside the book he had been reading.  
He ran over, scared as to what he might find, either his friend or a vampire. Kneeling down beside him he grabbed his wrist and looked at it, the bite was gone. Lifting the man into his arms, he put a bottle of water to his lips. Slowly he started to wake up and wondered why he was being held like that.  
"Where am I, what is going on?" he asked in surprise.  
"What do you mean, you don't know" asked Rick helping him up.  
He swayed as he stood up and Rick put an arm round his waist, to which Ardeth didn't object, as he felt like he was going to pass out.  
"The last I remember was that girl coming into my tent. What are we doing here and what has been going on?"  
"We'll fill you in later, come on let's get out of here" said Rick.  
They sat Ardeth and Father Adam in one of the old classrooms while they went and gathered together all the skulls of the vampires, including Valek. There was no way he was coming to life again.   
As for the cross, the pieces were gathered up by Jack and put into a sack, he would deliver them to the church for safe keeping when they got back. It was over, at last it was over. Valek was dead. They had a few more vampires to find, the ones Valek had send out to start another nest but they could do that tomorrow.  
So with a the skulls and cross remains, they headed to the nearest occupied town, where a doctor could see to Father Adams wrists and Johns arm. Ardeth was still feeling weak from his ordeal but listened intently as Jack explained what had happened to him while Rick helped the other two.  
  
Epilogue  
As the slayers left the schoolhouse, something stirred amidst the ruins of the playground. A blue mist swirled round the ashes of the vampires and disappeared into the school, something evil and not dead, something with revenge on its mind and the destruction of Jack Crow. 


End file.
